Archives for 2021

Agartala: Three people were allegedly lynched in the Khowai district of Tripura on suspicion of cattle theft in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

Villagers of Namanjoypara spotted a mini-truck heading towards Agartala, carrying five cattle, around 4.30 am, Superintendent of Police Kiran Kumar said.

They chased it and managed to stop the vehicle near North Maharanipur village, he said.

The villagers started thrashing the three people on the mini-truck with “lethal weapons”, and lynched two of them, while the other managed to flee, he said.

The mob got hold of the other person at Mungiakami, a tribal hamlet near North Maharanipur, and he was lynched there, the officer added.

Police reached the two locations immediately and took them first to a nearby hospital and then to the Agartala Government Medical College where the attending doctors declared that they were brought dead, Kumar said.

A case was registered and an investigation is underway, he said.

No arrests were made yet, police said.

Those killed were identified as Jayed Hossain (30), Billal Miah (28) and Saiful Islam (18), all residents of Sonamura subdivision in the Sepahijala district, they said.

Jaipur: A local Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the lynching of Rakbar alias Akbar Khan on suspicion of cattle smuggling in Rajasthan’s Alwar district in 2018, police said on Sunday.

This is the fifth arrest made by the Ramgarh Police in the case.

Police had filed a charge sheet against four accused — Paramjeet Singh, Naresh Sharma, Vijay Kumar and Dharmendra Yadav — in 2019. Final arguments in the case are yet to be heard by the court.

Alwar SP Tejaswini Gautam said VHP leader Naval Kishore Sharma was arrested three-four days ago by the Ramgarh Police and the case was being investigated by an ASP-rank officer.

Rakbar and his friend Aslam were beaten up severely by a group of people on suspicion of cow smuggling in Ramgarh on July 20, 2018.

Rakbar’s family had accused Naval Kishore Sharma, the chief of Gau Raksha cell in Ramgarh, of leading a mob to beat him to death.

ASP (Rural) Shriman Meena, the investigating officer in the case, said the VHP leader was arrested on Thursday under IPC sections 302 (murder), 304 (culpable homicide) and others.

Naval Kishore Sharma has been taken under 10-day police remand, he said.

Special Public Prosecutor Ashok Kumar Sharma said Naval Kishore Sharma’s telephonic conversations were being examined for a long time after which his arrest was made.

He said the VHP leader gave an impression that he was helping the police in the case, but he was a part of the criminal conspiracy.

Rakbar and Aslam had allegedly purchased cows from Ladpura village and were taking them to their village in Haryana through a forested area near Lalawandi village when they were attacked by the accused.

Aslam had managed to escape, but Rakbar succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

New Delhi: A video purportedly showing a monkey roaming inside a coach of a Delhi Metro train surfaced on the social media on Saturday.

The video clip on Twitter showed the simian first roaming around in the carriage and eventually settling on a seat next to a commuter.

In the video of the purported incident, a person can be heard saying Yamuna Bank Station, which falls on the Blue Line of the Delhi Metro.

Though the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) could not immediately confirm the incident, but in response to a video shared on Twitter, the Delhi Metro authorities asked to furnish coach details.

“Hi, thank you for reaching out. Kindly mention the coach number and current station for further assistance,” it said in response to a tweet by a user on the micro-blogging site.

Allahabad: In an observation, the Allahabad High Court said it is not against live-in-relationship but denied protection to a couple recently as one of the partners was married.

A Division Bench of Justices Kaushal Jayendra Thaker and Dinesh Pathak said this hearing a plea seeking protection for a couple, who was into a live-in-relationship but married during the pendency of the petition.

The High Court had earlier dismissed a plea filed by a married woman and her live-in partner.

The court also imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 on them, observing that the woman is already married and in live-in-relationship with another man, an act against the “mandate” of the Hindu Marriage Act.

While granting protection to the couple in the latest case, the court said, We are not against live-in-relation.

Earlier, we rejected a plea as the protection was sought during subsistence of marriage of one of the petitioners, it said.

The court directed police to provide protection to the petitioners, saying they were in a live-in-relationship but subsequently married each other.

Hence, in view of the orders given by the apex court in the past, they are entitled to protection, the HC said.

The petitioners had approached the HC on an apprehension that they might face harassment from their families.

Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Pune: Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday asked social media platforms to not lecture India on “freedom of speech” and “democracy”, and asserted that if these “profit-making” firms want to earn money in India, they will have to follow the “Indian Constitution and Indian laws”.

Addressing a lecture on the topic ‘Social Media & Social Security’ and ‘Criminal Justice System Reforms: An Unfinished Agenda’ organized by Symbiosis International University as part of the Symbiosis Golden Jubilee Lecture Series, the minister said the new IT guidelines do not deal with the use of social media, but with the “abuse” and “misuse” of social media platforms.

The new IT rules, which were originally announced in February, give users of the platform a forum for redressal for their grievances, Prasad said, adding that they are aimed at regulating content on social media firms and making likes of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter more accountable to legal requests for swift removal of posts and sharing of details on the originators of messages.

“The new rules require social media companies to set up an India-based grievance redressal officer, compliance officer, and the nodal officer so that millions of social media users get a forum for grievance redressal,” Prasad said, adding that no one was “asking for the moon” by getting firms to appoint three officers based in the country for this purpose.

“These are basic requirements. Let me reiterate emphatically that India does not need a lecture on freedom of speech and democracy from a profit-making company that stays in America. India has free and fair elections, an independent judiciary, media, civil society. Here I am talking to students and taking questions, and this is true democracy. So these profit-making companies should not lecture us on democracy,” he said.

“When Indian companies go to do business in America, do they not follow American laws? You earn good money, good profits as India is a digital market, there is no problem. Criticize the prime minister, criticize me, ask tough questions, but why would you not obey Indian laws? If you want to do business in India, you have to follow India’s Constitution and India’s laws,” the minister, who also holds the law and justice portfolio, emphasised.

Prasad said these firms got three months to comply with the new IT rules, the period expiring on May 26.

“I said I will give them extra time by a way of goodwill gesture. They did not comply. Therefore, it was exhausted because of the consequences of the law and not because of me. Now, what will happen? They will have to respond to court proceedings, investigative proceedings,” Prasad said.

The Central government recently withdrew Twitter’s ‘intermediary platform’ status due to non-compliance with new IT rules.

New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday asked state governments to register cases and invoke the stringent Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 against those who indulge in assault on doctors and healthcare professionals.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla’s letter to States and Union Territories came following several incidents of attack on doctors and healthcare professionals in different parts of the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You will agree that any incident of threat or assault on doctors or healthcare professionals may dampen their morale and create a sense of insecurity amongst them. This may adversely affect the healthcare response system,” Bhalla wrote.

The home secretary said in the present circumstances, it has become imperative that strict action be taken against those who assault healthcare professionals.

“Institutional FIRs should be registered against assaulters and such cases should be fast-tracked. You may also like to invoke provisions of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020, where applicable,” he said.

According to this law, anyone involved in the assault on doctors and healthcare professionals are liable to be punished with imprisonment up to five years, and a fine up to Rs two lakh.

This offence may be compounded by the victim with the permission of the court.

Further, if an act of violence against a healthcare service personnel causes grievous harm, the person committing the offence will be punishable with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine up to Rs five lakh.

These offences will be cognisable and non-bailable.

“I would also like to reiterate that a close watch be kept on any objectionable content in social media which may exacerbate such situations. Concerted efforts should be made through posters in hospitals, social media, etc. to emphasise the valuable contribution being made by doctors and other healthcare personnel in the fight against COVID-19,” Bhalla said.

Silchar: A shopkeeper arrested by police for keeping his shop open during curfew died in police custody in Assam’s Cachar district following which 500 people came out in the streets alleging that he was tortured and demanded action against police personnel, officials said on Saturday.

The grocery shop owner of Koratigram area under Rongpur police station, was arrested along with a customer on Friday evening for keeping his shop open during curfew hours imposed due to COVID-19 restrictions, police said.

The 50-year-old shopkeeper, Babul Banik, complained of breathlessness in police custody and was rushed to Silchar Civil Hospital where doctors referred him to Silchar Medical College Hospital where he was declared dead.

Following his death more than 500 people came out in the area, defying curfew orders, and demanded that the police personnel who had allegedly tortured him in custody be arrested immediately.

Senior police officials, including Cachar Superintendent of Police V C Chandrakant rushed to the spot and assured the crowd that necessary action will be taken after the postmortem report is received.

If any police personnel is found to be guilty of torture, necessary action will be definitely taken, the SP added.

The deceased’s wife claimed that he did not suffer from any ailment and had not opened the shop during curfew time but had gone to bring sugar for the family.

The situation though tense in the area was under control, police added.

New Delhi: The easing of Covid-related lockdown norms has led to crowding in some markets and other places, the Centre said on Saturday, as it urged states to ensure the “extremely important” five-fold strategy of Covid-appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination to prevent the spread of the disease.

In a communication to all states and Union Territories (UTs), Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also said that vaccination against COVID-19, in the present scenario, is critical to break the chain of transmission.

Therefore, all state and UT governments should step up the pace of vaccination, to cover maximum number of people in an expeditious manner, he said.

The home secretary said that during the second Covid wave, a significant surge in cases was witnessed in several states and UTs, and many of them imposed restrictions in order to contain the spread of the infection.

“With a decline in the number of active cases, many states and UTs have started relaxing restrictions. I would like to highlight that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be taken, based on the assessment of the situation at the ground level,” he said.

Bhalla said while the opening up of activities, after decline in cases is essential, states and UTs must ensure that the whole process is “carefully calibrated”.

“While opening up, it would be extremely important to follow the five-fold strategy of Covid appropriate behaviour, test-track-treat and vaccination,” he said.

The home secretary said regular monitoring of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is required to prevent relapse.

To reiterate, Covid appropriate behaviour includes mandatory use of masks, hand hygiene, social distancing and also proper ventilation of closed spaces, he said.

“However, easing of restrictions in some states, have led to resumption of crowding of people in markets etc., without adherence to the norms of Covid appropriate behaviour,” he said.

It is, therefore essential to ensure that complacency does not set in, and there is no let-up in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour, while opening up activities, the home secretary said.

New Delhi: “We may not have seen you compete, but every time we ran fast as kids, we ran ‘like Milkha Singh’,” India’s football captain Sunil Chhetri summed up what ‘The Flying Sikh’ meant to the nation, which mourned the end of an era following the nonagenarian sprint icon’s death.

Milkha died at Chandigarh’s PGIMER hospital on Friday night, less than a week after he lost his wife Nirmal Kaur, a former national volleyball captain, to the same ailment.

He was 91 and is survived by his golfer son Jeev Milkha Singh and three daughters.

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cricket superstars to India’s new age track-and-field hopes like Hima Das, the tributes were not just an admiration of Milkha’s legacy but also the strong influence it had on the nation’s sporting culture.

Modi described him as “colossal sportsperson, who captured the India’s “imagination.” One of India’s greatest cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar, said Milkha’s legend will live on.

“Rest in Peace our very own Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh ji. Your demise has left a deep void in every Indian’s heart today, but you shall keep inspiring several generations to come,” Tendulkar tweeted.

It was Chhetri perhaps, who best summed up the icon for a generation which didn’t see him compete but grew up being inspired by his race for a better life which started as a 15-year-old during India’s partition.

“We may not have seen you compete, but every time we ran fast as kids, we ran ‘like Milkha Singh’. And for me, that will always be the legend you leave behind. You didn’t just run, you inspired. Rest in peace, sir. #MilkhaSingh,” Chhetri tweeted. .

Hima, a 400m runner herself like Milkha, said the iconic sprinter had once told her that she was destined for big things.

“After winning World Championship U20 title & medal in Asian Games, I still remember a call from #MilkhaSingh sir that ‘Hima just keep on working hard, you have ample time and you can win a medal Gold medal for our country at a global level’,” she recalled in a tweet.

“I will try to fulfill your dream sir,” she promised.

Olympic-bound star javelin throwers Neeraj Copra tweeted “We lost a Gem. He will always remain as an inspiration for every Indian. May his soul Rest in peace.”

Condoling the death, Home Minister Amit Shah said the one of the brightest stars of Indian sports has been lost.

“India mourns the sad demise of legendary sprinter Shri Milkha Singh Ji, The Flying Sikh. He has left an indelible mark on world athletics. Nation will always remember him as one of the brightest stars of Indian sports. My deepest condolences to his family and countless followers”

India’s cricket head coach Ravi Shastri also joined the sports fraternity in condoling his death.

“India’s greatest @Olympics runner. Shook the world in 60s with his competitive spirit inspite of the most limited facilities. He took the word determination and will to compete to another level. Respect. God bless your soul. Condolences to @JeevMilkhaSingh & family,” Shastri tweeted.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) expressed “immense sadness at the demise of one of India’s greatest ever sportspersons ‘The Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh.

Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla called Milkha “a Titan who lifted the profile of athletics in a young nation…”

“…his sharp observations on Indian sport will be missed. His towering legacy will continue to inspire generations of young Indians. Rest in peace legend.”

“A huge loss for the sport of athletics today. Rest well #MilkhaSingh ji,” Olympian Anju Bobby George tweeted.

“Really shocked by the demise of the legend Milkha sir. You will forever have a very special place in my heart.The Flying Sikh will live forever. RIP,” said another Indian sprinter Muhammed Anas Yahiya.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also expressed his condolences on the micro-blogging site.

“Very sad,heartbreaking to hear flying sikh Sardar Milkha singh ji is no more… waheguru RIPMilkhaSinghji.”

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza said “Had the honour of meeting you and you blessed me so many times .. the kindest and warmest Palms up together RIP Milkha Singh sir .. the world will miss a legend like you ..MilkhaSingh

“Really shocked and sad to learn about the passing away of the legend Milkha Singh ji. Om Shanti,” Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia said.

Decorated doubles badminton player Jwala Gutta joined in expressing her sadness.

“What an inspiration you were to the millions like us . There will be none like you sir Rest in peace legend MilkhaSingh,” she posted.

The official handle of the Indian football team also mourned Milkha’s death.

“We join the nation in mourning the loss of the iconic ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh. His incredible achievements will continue to inspire future generations. May his soul rest in peace RIP.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanata Biswa Sarma said: “Saddened at the demise of Flying Sikh’ Captain Milkha Singh. His laurels had not only made India swell with pride but also inspired generations of sports enthusiasts. My condolences to his family. Om Shanti!”

Indian wicketkeeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha, squash player Joshna Chinappa and shooter Sanjeev Rajput also paid homage to the sprint icon.

“Saddened by the passing away of #MilkhaSingh ji. RIP the Flying Sikh. An inspiration for millions. A great loss to our nation,” Saha tweeted.

“Very saddened to hear about the passing of Milkha Singh Sir. A True Legend and Champion. You will be greatly missed. RIP Sir,” Chinappa wrote.

“A great loss to the nation. Rest in Peace legend #MilkhaSingh ji. Om Shanti,” Rajput tweeted.

Olympic-bound weight-lifter Mirabai Chanu tweeted, “The nation will always remember you for your invaluable contribution and seek an inspiration from your life forever. RIP #MilkhaSingh sir.